Donald Trump has criticised Prince Harry after the Duke of Sussex urged the United States to honour its international obligations to Ukraine. Speaking at the Kyiv Security Forum on Thursday, Harry said America had a 'singular role' because it was part of the assurance that Ukraine's sovereignty would be respected when it gave up nuclear weapons. Trump retorted that Harry 'is not speaking for the UK' and claimed he spoke for Britain more than the duke.
Harry, a former soldier, did not claim to represent the UK. He said he was 'not here as a politician' but as 'a soldier who understands service' and a 'humanitarian'. His plea comes as Ukraine continues to defend against Russian aggression, now on day 1,521 of the war.
In a separate development, a Ukrainian MP revealed he piloted a drone interceptor from thousands of kilometres away, highlighting advances in Ukraine's drone technology. Marian Zablotskiy said he flew an FPV interceptor drone from his office, then from near the border, and finally from about 2,000km away. Ukrainian drone manufacturer Wild Hornets confirmed the experiment and said it aims to make remote control the primary method of drone operation.
Meanwhile, a fire at a Black Sea oil terminal in Tuapse, hit by Ukraine earlier this week, continued to burn four days later, with four storage tanks ablaze. Local authorities urged residents to stay indoors due to smoke. The attack targeted Russian oil exports funding the war.
EU leaders welcomed a €90bn (£78bn) loan for Ukraine after resolving diplomatic deadlock, alongside a 20th sanctions package against Russia. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the first tranche of €45bn could be disbursed by the end of June, funding Ukraine's domestic drone production. Russian attacks on residential areas killed three people and wounded at least 10, including two girls, in Dnipropetrovsk. In Russia, drone strikes killed one person in Samara and another in Belgorod.
